Of Bravery and Trust
by TheUltimateLokiFan
Summary: Loki and Natasha's child faces a great evil that the two new parents know all too well. They struggle to protect their kid, especially when said kid is curious about nearly everything. [Characters featured: The Avengers, Loki, my OC(Loki & Nats child), and several different villains.] Sequel to Of Love and Hate.
1. Prologue

"Oh jeez, Clint is gonna freak when he hears about this." Bruce said, although, he was still clearly happy for Loki and Natasha.

Thor tossed his hammer in the air, listening to the conversation before butting in and putting a hand on Loki's shoulder.

"I'll be sure to teach it everything I know." Thor said, happily.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Thor. All you'll teach it is how to act like, well...you."

Loki sounded as if he was disgusted by the thought. Natasha just smiled, watching the brothers as they continued to bicker back and forth. She was glad that they had all grown accustomed to having Loki around, it made everything easier. Even Clint had at least tried to be friendly, although, he still seemed as though he was still upset. Natasha heard a door open then close as Clint came out of his room, hearing all the commotion. He walked over to them.

"Ok, guys, seriously? What the heck is going on?" He said, his voice sounding like a grumble, he had most likely been sleeping, another thing he had desperately needed.

Tony was the one who spilled the beans.

"Natasha's pregnant."

"AND I'M AN UNCLE!" Thor shouted at the top of his lungs, causing Loki to wince as he was standing right next to him.

At hearing this, Clint nodded a little, he was probably still out of it, but that was what he wanted everyone to think. Inside, he was boiling up with anger. He looked at Natasha smiling, it was so fake.

"That's great."

Natasha nodded, but she could see the hurt in her friend's eyes. She didn't like seeing him like this, but, she couldn't change it, and she wouldn't if she could. Clint yawned a little, then he turned and walked back down the hall to his room. Tony looked at the rest of them.

"Well, party time. We gotta do something to celebrate right?" He said, smiling.

The others agreed with him, following him into another room of the large building, Stark Tower. Loki and Natasha stayed behind when the others had left. Natasha turned to Loki, smiling at him and taking one of his hands in hers.

"That wasn't so bad, right?" She asked.

"Yeah, at least until Clint came."

Natasha frowned a little but she nodded, saying, "I know, he'll get over it. There's one thing I know, Clint gets over things quickly."

"And what if he doesn't?" Loki asked, looking worried for once.

Natasha smiled and leaned up, kissing his cheek.

"He will. Just like when he got over the fact of us being together. He accepted you as an ally, and that's a big step already for him."

Loki nodded a little, hoping she was right. Natasha gave him a hug, still trying to reassure him that everything was going to be alright.

* * *

Bright blue eyes scanned the area from underneath an outside table. They could see dark boots walking by, and then a voice could be heard. The little girl under the table tried not to giggle as she heard her father's voice as he said, "Hmm...I wonder where she could be?"

The little girl, who looked to be the age of 6, had long black hair like her father's. She pulled her knees up to her chest, waiting for her dad to find her. She finally couldn't take it, she had to let out a laugh. Soon enough, she saw her father, down on his knees, looking under the table at her. He smiled.

"I found you."

The girl crawled over to him, giggling, and when she was out from under the table, he picked her up, putting her on his shoulders.

"You're a good hider, aren't you Layla?" Her father, Loki, said, smiling and waiting to hear her little voice.

"Yup! But you found me, Papa." Layla said, carefully giving her father a hug by draping her arms around his neck and laying her head against his.

"Indeed I did." Loki replied, chuckling.

They heard Natasha's voice as she called to Loki, "Careful with her."

"I've got this, Natasha, calm down." Loki replied, smirking at her.

Natasha shook her head, crossing her arms, however, there was a smile on her face as she watched them. She looked around them, looking at other people passing by. Luckily, she had gotten Loki to wear 'Midgardian clothes' as he called them. People probably would have freaked out if they saw him in his normal Asgardian attire. Natasha looked around a bit before noticing something different about the sky. It had grown cloudy, but more cloudy than usual.

"Loki..." She said in what sounded like a worried tone.

Loki looked towards her, walking over, with Layla still on his shoulders. He picked her up, handing her to Natasha before looking up at the sky. His eyebrows pushed together as he looked at the sky, confused. He looked around them, every person in the area seemed to be frozen, except them. Layla looked around curiously, wondering why everyone had stopped moving. Suddenly, a cloaked figure appeared before them. One of Loki's arms shot in front of Natasha and Layla, pushing them gently behind him. Layla was scared, she hid her face in her mother's neck. Natasha rubbed her back, trying to calm the poor girl down. Loki watched as the figure stood to its full height and looked at them.

"So, I see you have a new family." The figure's voice growled.

Loki glared, replying, "What do you want?"

"She won't be safe forever you know." The voice said again.

Loki now recognized who it was, he gripped his own head, getting flashes of memories in his mind. He knew who this was. The Other. What could he possibly want from Layla? Loki looked at The Other, his scepter appearing at the wave of his hand. He walked towards The Other, an ever present glare still on his face.

"What do you want from my daughter? Do you plan on attacking my family? We both know that won't go well for you." Loki said, his voice sounded menacing.

The Other simply smiled, it was as if he enjoyed Loki's anger.

"I will be the one that comes out on top. This war isn't over, it never will be until you hand over the child which you concealed from me the last time we spoke."

Loki raised his eyebrows, but they soon furrowed again.

"I will not let you get to her, no way. NOT EVER!" Loki yelled, any control he had went away as he attacked The Other.

The two fought, Loki seemed to be stronger than ever. He knocked The Other to the ground by tripping him, then he put the tip of his scepter against The Other's neck, wanting to finish him off, but a little voice spoke up.

"Papa, wait."

Natasha wanted Layla to stay with her, but the little girl wouldn't have it. She was just as stubborn as her father. That's what Natasha thought at least. Layla walked over to stand by Loki and pull him away from The Other. She reached up towards him, wanting to be picked up. Loki made his scepter disappear and picked his daughter up. They looked at The Other who was standing up. Layla glared at The Other, it seemed as if she wasn't afraid. The Other just smirked and disappeared. The sky cleared and people were walking again, as if nothing had happened.

"I'll finish him myself the next time we meet," Layla said, looking at Loki, who seemed surprised by her words, "when I'm ready of course." Layla finished, smiling a little.

Loki chuckled a little, replying, "Very well."

Natasha walked over to them, smiling a little and standing by Loki. Loki put his free arm around her, holding Layla with the other. He looked up at the clear sky, frowning a little. This isn't good, he thought, another war.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, there is the prologue. Layla is pretty cute don't you think? I know, you can't really see her, but you can at least picture her. Haha.**  
**_All characters are copy righted to Marvel except for Layla. She's my OC._ Anyways, hope you enjoyed. I will try to get more chapters up soon! 'Till then, see ya! ;)**


	2. Chapter 1

"Well, let's face it, I can't do it."

Layla's frustration wasn't hard to spot when it came to learning magic. Sure, she had learned a few spells, but she wasn't good at it, at least, that's what she told herself. She heard the voice of a certain billionaire as he walked into the room.

"And why are we doing magic in the building? Jarvis, you got an explanation?"

"No, sir." Jarvis replied.

Layla had to laugh a little bit, she looked around the room, looking from the bar to the many large windows that looked as if they had been broken once. Layla couldn't help but smile a little. She knew of her father's attack on New York. She knew pretty much everything about The Avengers and of course Loki. Tony looked back towards Layla, crossing his arms. Layla looked back at Tony, putting her hands behind her back.

"Sorry, Tony." She said in the most innocent tone.

"God, you're just like him." Tony said, in a voice that sounded either annoyed or amazed.

He was referring to Loki, who had started acting a bit innocent, even if he was clearly up to something. Tony turned and walked toward Bruce who was sitting in a chair looking at a newspaper. That wasn't rare for him these days, he had been neglecting science experiments a little bit ever since Layla was born. Layla watched the two of them as Tony attempted to smack the newspaper out of Bruce's hand, but Bruce avoided him. They always seemed to get along, Bruce wasn't even mad at him right now. Layla smiled before turning and started to walk towards the training room, she usually found Clint there. Clint had been nice to her, always, even if she was Loki's daughter. He only did so because she was Natasha's child too, of course. Layla liked him, regardless that he disliked her father. That didn't mean she had to hate him. When she entered the room, which, she hadn't been in a lot, she walked toward a hallway that led to where Clint could practice archery. Although, everyone knew he was already good. Even so, Clint still felt he needed to keep himself fit. When Layla went into the archery room, Clint had just fired another arrow, hitting one of many targets that were set up. The arrow struck right dead in the center. He heard Layla come in and he looked towards her, smiling.

"Layla, what's up?" He said, watching as she walked over.

"Eh, nothing. I guess I'm just bored." Layla replied, smiling back at him.

"I see. Well, I don't really know what there is to do here." Clint said, preparing to shoot another arrow as he turned his sharp eyes toward the next target.

That was when an idea hit him. He lowered his bow, and he turned back towards Layla.

"I could teach you how to shoot a bow and arrow. If you're ok with it." Clint said, smiling.

"Awesome! It would be better than failing at using magic. Dad says I'm good, but, I doubt it."

"Well, you'll get better I'm sure. Hey, I have an extra bow, it's in the room next door. Care to get it?"

"Yeah! Be right back!"

Layla raced out of the room, causing Clint to laugh a little. He shook his head and turned back towards the target he was aiming at.

* * *

Natasha ran and leaped over several walls, which were shorter in height compared to her, but she was able to clear them easily. She chuckled when she heard footfalls behind her. She had been training with Loki for hours in one of the many training rooms that Tony had installed over the years. Loki was surprisingly good at clearing the walls, of course, he was taller than even her, and he took a while to get tired. So far, he hadn't. However, from what Natasha knew, Loki seemed to enjoy it, but not once did he race ahead of her. Natasha leapt over another wall before turning sharply and running to her right, Loki stopped in his tracks after jumping the wall after her, watching her with a playful glare. He started running again, chasing after her. Natasha looked back at him as she saw that he was gaining on her. She laughed and sped up. Loki easily caught up to her, wrapping his arms around her and picking her up. He stopped running once she was in his arms. She screamed in surprise from being grabbed and picked up, but it just morphed into laughing. Natasha looked back at him, her hands gripping his arms.

"Well, aren't you sneaky?"

Loki chuckled and replied, "Indeed I am, love."

Natasha smiled, giving him a kiss on his cheek. She looked towards the door, noticing that someone was coming in. Loki put her down and followed suit, his eyes locking on the door. Layla walked in, smiling at her parents before seeing Hawkeye's extra bow. She ran and picked it up. Loki tilted his head to one side, he called over to her, "Layla, what are you doing?"

Layla turned to look at her father, bow in her right hand. She answered, "Clint is gonna teach me how to shoot a bow and arrow."

"Hmm..." Was all that Loki could really say, he looked as if he was thinking. Natasha spoke up, "Well, have fun." She smiled at her daughter.

Layla nodded.

"I will!"

With that, she was gone, closing the door behind her. Loki looked at Natasha, who gave him a look.

"What's your problem?" She asked in as kind of a tone as she could.

"As good as it may be for Layla to learn how to shoot a bow and arrow, I'm not so sure about it."

"Why? Because Clint's teaching her?"

"Maybe."

"Look Loki, she will be fine."

Loki sighed and replied, "I hope so."

Natasha smiled a little, patting his shoulder. "Just keep yourself calm, Loki Bear, she'll be fine." She said.

Loki looked at her as she walked away, he raised an eyebrow.

"Loki Bear, huh?" Loki said, "Where did you get that idea for a nickname?"

"Simple," Natasha replied, turning and walking backwards to look at him, "you're overprotective, like a mother grizzly."

She smirked and turned back around, running and jumping over another wall. Loki chuckled, shooting another playful glare her way before running after her.

* * *

**Author's Note: Ok, so this is really short. Sorry about that. Anyway, I got the Loki Bear idea from my little sister when we were on vacation. PM me if you want to hear the story. :) **


	3. Chapter 2

Natasha had been gone for several hours. Everyone knew where she was though, she was at the grocery store, getting groceries of course, because Tony was too lazy to do it himself. However, Loki was starting to worry, anyone could tell that he was. He kept walking over to the large, once broken window, looking outside. Of course, any normal person wouldn't be able to see her, but Loki would spot her easily. His eyes may not have been as sharp as Hawkeye's but regardless of that, he could still find anyone. So far, he wasn't having any luck finding Natasha. Layla walked over to him, being sent over by the other Avengers, since they knew they would only make him angry. She still approached him cautiously, going over and standing by him. Loki looked at her, Layla looked back at him, forcing a small smile.

"Papa, she'll be ok. If there's one thing I know about Mom, it's that she gets out of almost any situation." Layla told him, hoping he wasn't going to be mad.

Loki nodded a little, turning his attention back outside. He sighed, he wasn't so sure of what Layla said. There were some things in the realms that Natasha would not be able to fight off, if fighting was the case.

* * *

Natasha left the store, groceries in her hands, as she started to walk back towards Stark Tower. She looked around the city, she enjoyed it but, sometimes she wished they didn't have to live in such a busy area. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel like she was being followed. Sure, there were lots of people walking around as usual, but even so, she still felt uneasy. Once she reached a nearby park, she set the groceries down, taking her phone out and dialing Clint's cell, since Loki didn't have a phone. He wouldn't know how to use one if he did. When Clint answered, Natasha told him to send someone to pick her up since she felt like someone was following her. Clint told her that he would send someone and that they would be there shortly. Natasha hung up after saying goodbye then she picked up the groceries and looked around, waiting. She sighed, watching people walk by. She heard a weird noise near her, and she thought she saw something pass by quickly. A few more minutes passed and she felt the presence of another person near her. She froze, and stayed still when she felt two arms secure themselves around her waist. She smiled a little, knowing now that it was just Loki.

"Loki, you scared me." She said, smiling a bit bigger when he gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"I am sorry, love. Let's get you back home." Loki replied, teleporting them both back inside Stark Tower.

* * *

"Where is Thor? He was supposed to be here half an hour ago." Steve said, pacing around.

Bruce, Clint, Tony, Natasha, and Loki were all waiting with him outside Stark Tower. They had been called to investigate in the state of California. They were waiting for Thor because, well, he needed to be there. He had spent a lot of time with Jane, and of course their ten-year-old son, Jayden. He was six years younger than Layla. As for Layla, she was staying at her friend's house, as she could not help with the missions, the reasons being that her magic wasn't good yet, neither were her fighting skills. Loki was constantly worried about her, even if she was a teen and could take care of herself. After waiting for a few more minutes, Thor finally showed up and they headed towards where they were supposed to wait for Nick Fury, so they could get the Quinjet. They came to a more quieter part of the city, where few people were. The Helicarrier had already landed in a nearby park, Nick was there waiting for them. They all stood before him a few seconds later, where Nick started to tell them what exactly they needed to look for. Steve nodded, listening, as the leader of the team, he needed to know every detail. Nick also pointed out that Loki was a vital part of the mission too. There had been when looked like another Chitauri ship that had crashed nearby the capital of California, Sacramento.

"We are unsure if there are any live Chitauri on the ship, but because of the fact that you are able to go unseen by most, you need to investigate it." Nick told Loki, who nodded, listening carefully.

Natasha never thought she would see the day that Loki took orders from someone else. She never even thought that he would be on their side. The others must have thought about the same thing at some point.

* * *

Loki walked carefully through the crashed Chitauri ship. He looked around cautiously, not wanting to be caught off guard.

"Do you see anything?" Came Steve's voice through the earpiece they had given Loki.

They were all waiting outside, not wanting to go in with him until it was safe. Loki looked around a bit more before replying, "I don't see anything that is living, I think it's safe."

"Alright, we'll be right in, stay where you are."

"As if I would go anywhere." Loki replied with a slight chuckle. He looked around, staying where he was and crossed his arms. He had a disgusted look on his face. There were dead Chitauri pretty much laying everywhere. The interior of the ship was certainly not what he thought it would look like. In fact, the only one who really would know would be Tony, since he had flown right into one before. This ship was like a living thing. They were called Leviathans, but Loki didn't really see why they were called that. Soon enough, The Avengers arrived at where Loki was standing. Loki looked at the Hulk, he was surprised that he was able to fit in the room. He pushed the thought away and they all spread out into groups of two, except for Steve, Hulk, and Thor who were a group of three. Loki and Natasha started off in one direction, hoping not to run into trouble as they investigated the ship. Loki hadn't had a lot of time to investigate the ENTIRE ship, so, they couldn't be sure if there was danger.

* * *

Clint and Tony were being extremely careful as they stepped over the dead bodies of the Chitauri. They entered a room, which seemed to be filled with some weird technology. Tony, interested in the different screens and buttons, walked right in, while Clint hanged back for a moment. He watched Tony, as he investigated, then he looked around, deciding to be on guard. He didn't care how thoroughly Loki had looked through the ship, he was very weary of this place. He didn't like the feel of it at all. It gave him the creeps as he looked from the dead bodies, to everything down his left or right side.

* * *

"Steve, come here."

"What is it, Thor?" Steve replied, as he walked over to where Thor was standing.

Thor was looking at a Chitauri warrior, he looked confused. This in turn, confused Steve.

"This creature, if it was dead, wouldn't those lights be off?" Thor asked, pointing to the Chitauri as there were purple lights on it flickering on and off.

Steve looked at the dead warrior, and he now realized something. He touched his earpiece, trying to contact the others.

"Guys, we have to get off this thing, now!" He said, his voice sounding panicked.

* * *

_"Guys, we have to get off this thing, now!"_ Steve's voice said into Loki's earpiece as he walked with Natasha. He looked at her, wondering if she had heard the message. It was obvious that she hadn't.

"Natasha." Loki called to her, as he stopped walking, waiting for her to stop.

Natasha looked back at him then walked over.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Didn't you hear Steve?"

"No. Darn, I bet this stupid thing ran out of batteries again." Natasha said, taking it off her ear and looking up at Loki again.

"You didn't check it before we left?"

"I thought it had enough power, ok?" Natasha retorted, giving him a slight glare that made him back off.

Upon seeing his slightly shocked face, Natasha frowned a little, giving him a hug.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

"It's alright, my love. However, I do believe the Captain said we need to get out of here."

Natasha nodded up at him, releasing him from her grasp. They both looked down the hall, hearing a large boom. The whole ship shook. Natasha looked down the hall still, while Loki looked at her worriedly. Natasha started walking towards where the boom came from. Loki shook his head, calling after her.

"Nat, where are you going!"

"I have to see what that is!" She called back, starting to run.

Loki sighed in slight annoyance before running after her. As they continued to run, Loki was worried what they were going to find. As Natasha turned the corner at the end of the hallway, he grew even more worried now that she was out of sight. He could hear Steve's voice in his earpiece, wanting to know where they were and why they weren't out of the ship. Loki ignored him, worried about Natasha, and her safety. As he turned the corner, he found that he couldn't see Natasha. Now he really started to panic. His green eyes darted around as he slowed to a walk, calling her name several times. She never answered, not once. Suddenly, everything was a blur, he looked around to find that he was lying on the floor. Through his blurred vision, the one thing he could see was Natasha, staring down at him. He didn't understand what was happening, until The Other also showed his face. After that, Loki blacked out, the two things he felt was a severe headache; not to mention a heartache.

* * *

**Author's Note: I am so sorry guys! It's been FOREVER since I added another chapter to this story. I've had really bad writer's block and not enough interest to right it. I wonder what's going to happen now. Poor Loki, heartache and a headache. That's not a good combination. I'll try to keep up with this guys! Hopefully I can keep my interest and find more ideas. :) **


	4. Chapter 3

Loki woke up to find that he was in the room he shared with Natasha at Stark Tower. He wondered why exactly he was here, but then he remembered that Natasha had knocked him out. He shook his head a little then looked around the room. He again felt his heart sink. The Other had brainwashed Natasha, but how had he gotten to her so fast if he did? As Loki recalled, The Other wasn't on the ship when they got there, he knew that for sure.

* * *

Later, Loki met with the remaining Avengers, Nick Fury was also present. Loki watched them all as they looked at him a few times then back towards Fury. Loki was confused by their expressions, as most of them looked a bit upset. Thor held a sympathetic expression towards Loki, which only confused him further.

"What's going on?" Loki finally asked.

"With the loss of Agent Romanoff to the enemy, I stated that the mission was a failure," Nick replied, "you failed as well, Loki."

"What are you saying? You're putting the blame on Loki?" Steve said, sounding as if he was defending Loki.

Loki was surprised by Cap's sudden action. No one, except Thor, had really stuck up for him.

"He didn't do a careful search of the ship." Nick replied.

Clint looked slightly smug, mainly because Loki was getting blamed for their failed mission. He was upset by Natasha's disappearance, but Loki getting the blame made him feel a little better.

Thor spoke up, "We didn't give Loki enough time to really search the ship. So, it's partially our fault."

Loki couldn't believe this. Why were they defending him? It WAS his fault that Natasha was captured.

"That may be so, but, Loki is still the one to blame for this." Nick said, then he turned to Loki.

"We found your past residence, a house on the outskirts of the city. You must go there with Layla."

"Why would we do that?" Loki asked, confused.

"Because until we locate The Other, Natasha, or the Chitauri, you are relieved of your duties. For now, at least. Spend some time with your daughter."

Loki was slightly shocked, also sad. He liked it at Stark Tower. He wondered if everyone else was going to be sent home too. He also worried about Natasha, where she was, what had happened to her.

* * *

"Dad, where are we?"

"Don't you remember, Layla?" Loki asked his daughter as they walked towards their old house.

"I don't, that's why I asked." Layla replied, laughing.

"Well, you will soon enough."

Loki got out the key, unlocking the door, and letting her go in first. Layla looked around a bit as Loki closed the door. Finally, she had to ask the question that was burning in her mind.

"What really happened to Mom?"

"I already told you-" Loki started to say, but Layla interrupted him.

"Dad, I know that was a lie, Mom doesn't just randomly do science with Bruce and Tony. You really need to work on your lies." Layla replied, smirking at her father.

Loki shook his head, sighing.

"She was taken prisoner by The Other. I assume by being brainwashed in the last mission." Loki said, looking back at Layla.

Layla's smirk faded after hearing the news. No, this couldn't be true. Her mother wouldn't be that easy to capture, would she? Layla looked at Loki with sad, blue eyes that reminded Loki of Natasha. Layla hugged him, tears starting to come to her eyes. Loki hugged his daughter back, closing his eyes. It was there and then that Loki vowed he wouldn't lose his daughter like he did Natasha. Layla pulled away from him, looking up at him, there was a much more determined look on her face.

"Dad, once the Chitauri show their faces, they will be sorry. Along with The Other. No one messes with our family." Layla said, waiting for Loki's response.

Loki chuckled softly, admiring Layla's little speech.

"Well, if we are going to teach them a lesson, you are going to need a bit more training." He said, smiling.

Layla shrugged, crossing her arms.

"You know I'm not good at magic." She said, frowning.

"It's not just about magic, Layla." He replied, then he added, "Follow me."

Loki started walking to their back door, which led to a porch. Layla followed him, she looked around the house as she walked. She was surprised to see that most of the things they once had had been recovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. Of course, some things had been bought, such as most of the furniture. Once she was out on the porch, she saw that Loki was already standing by a forest which was quite a ways from their house. She started walking after going down the porch stairs. She heard her father's voice as he spoke telepathically to her.

"Why don't you teleport?" He asked.

"Because I can't." Layla replied, she was surprised to hear the words that she said in her mind instead of coming from her mouth.

"Well, I see you can use telepathy, so, it shouldn't be hard for you to teleport," Loki replied, suddenly appearing in front of Layla.

Layla jumped back slightly, gasping at her father's sudden appearance. She calmed down after a few seconds.

"I know you can do it," Loki continued out loud, "you are the daughter of a god. A sorcerer at that."

Loki smirked a little at her before disappearing and reappearing by the forest. Layla smiled, however she still wasn't confident with her magic. So, she kept walking until she reached Loki. Then the two walked into the forest. Layla looked around at their surroundings. She loved looking at the trees, and of course the wildlife. Loki just kept his gaze ahead of them. He had so many things going on in his mind. He took a right turn when they came to two paths. Layla followed, curious as to where they were going. Soon enough, they came to a large, open, grassy area. Layla looked around them, smiling. She could see the bright blue sky, also a few patches of flowers in different areas of the meadow. Loki walked in front of Layla, seeing that she had stopped walking. He smiled a little, watching her as she looked around.

"Beautiful, is it not?" Loki asked.

Layla looked at him, smiling and nodding.

"It's amazing, Papa."

"Good, because this is where we are training."

Layla nodded again, looking around once more. Loki watched his daughter, wondering what she was thinking. Then, Layla turned back to him, smiling. It wasn't her normal smile though. As it turned out, she was imitating her father's signature evil smile.

"When do we start?" She asked, laughing, because she had also attempted to imitate his voice.

Loki laughed with her, glad that she had a similar sense of humor to his. She may not always play tricks like himself, but she was fine the way she was. As long as she's happy, it doesn't matter what she does right now, Loki thought.

"If I must work on my lying, then you should work on your impressions." Loki told her, chuckling.

"Yeah, right! My impression of you was perfect." Layla replied, laughing once again.

"Spot on, in fact." Loki said, lying, an evil smile threatening to appear on his face.

Layla laughed again, she could tell he was lying. It was sometimes obvious when he attempted to lie to her, however, most times it wasn't. Around The Avengers, they almost always fell for his lies. Layla though, when she tried to lie, it was easy to figure out if she was lying. She also could never lie to her parents, mainly because Natasha would give her a look, or, Loki would be able to tell when she was. After all, he wasn't called the God of Lies for nothing. Layla finally let the topic slide from her mind, wondering when they would start training.


	5. Chapter 4

Natasha watched three Chitauri warriors, who were getting prepared to fight against her again. Her job, as instructed by The Other, was to help make the soldiers better fighters, even if they were already decent. They were at their base, which was on top of a high mountain. In fact, it was Pike's Peak in the state of Colorado. The Other had it taken over by the Chitauri by killing any human that came near, this caused it to not allow public visits anymore. Natasha focused her gaze on the three soldiers, waiting for them to make a move. One of them charged toward her, throwing two punches toward her. She easily dodged, punching him in the gut and tripping him. She fought off the other two and waited for them to get up. After they stood up, she gave them advice on what to improve on, then dismissed them. She left the training room where they had been fighting soon after, and started down one of the many hallways. She headed towards a room that was guarded by two Chitauri soldiers. Once she reached them, she told them to stand down.

"Why should we listen to a human?" One of the soldiers answered, spitting out the last word in disgust.

"Because I must speak to our leader. If you fail to comply, we're going to have problems." Natasha replied, her blue eyes locked on them.

She seemed to always be insulted by most of the Chitauri, mainly because she was human. Sure, she understood she was different, but they could be more respectful. Although, a part of Natasha knew that she hated them, but her mind controlled side wouldn't let her believe that. Knowing very well what she was capable of, they opened the doors that led to the room behind them. Natasha walked into the room, taking a good look around. It was rather empty, with only a table on the far right of the room and a chair in the center. The chair was more like a throne, which reminded Natasha of someone. She couldn't think of who it was, plus, her head hurt when she thought of it.

"What do you need?" A voice said, disrupting her from her thoughts.

Natasha looked to her left, watching The Other as he approached her.

"I wanted to know what's next in our plans, or rather yours." Natasha replied, her gaze never leaving The Other.

The Other nodded once, then he went over to the throne. Running a hand on the arm of the large chair, he turned back to Natasha.

"That is information that I will not share until The Avengers, and their ally, make a move." The Other said.

Natasha nodded, but she still wanted more information.

"That doesn't really help me understand my part in this plan of yours."

"Are you questioning me, Agent Romanoff? That I'm afraid, is a bad move on your part."

Natasha was taken aback, but she was also starting to build up with fear. The Other was walking slowly back over to her.

"You know what will happen if you disobey my orders." The Other said, his gaze was threatening, even if his eyes weren't visible to others.

Natasha nodded, looking away from him, casting her gaze down towards the floor.

"It won't happen again, I swear." Natasha said, her voice sounding slightly shaky.

"It better not. You're free to go. Stay in your chambers, don't come out until morning." The Other growled.

Natasha felt a sharp pain in her head, then she left. When she got to her room, she couldn't help but realize she had her own thoughts again, she remembered what happened to her. The Other was and had been letting her have her own free will at night. But, the morning after, she would go back to being brainwashed. She walked over to the only window in her room, and she opened it. She looked at the landscape around them, which was mostly just mountains around them. She looked up at the sky. The moon was out, and with it, were many stars. She felt tears starting to come to her eyes.

"Guys, I miss you. So much." She said softly, thinking about her Avenger friends, her daughter, and most of all, Loki.

She hated being in this prison, as she called it. She wanted nothing more than to be with everyone back home. Closing her eyes for a moment, she imagined she was in Stark Tower. Tony and Bruce were doing science. Thor and Jane were there, having a conversation with Steve. Their son Jayden was spending time with Layla, his only cousin. Clint and Loki were actually getting along. The only one missing, was herself, and that was when Natasha opened her eyes. Tears slipped from her eyes as she began to weep softly. If only her little daydream was true.

* * *

Loki dodged a punch, then caught his daughter's fist as she threw another at him. They were training in the meadow they had found the previous day. Layla sighed after a few more attempts to try to beat her father in their little sparring match, she backed down. Loki let go of her hand and watched her face as it was clouded with disappointment.

"If I can't use magic, or fight, saving Mom isn't going to be easy. Probably not even possible." Layla said, frowning and looking down at the ground.

"Layla, you just don't believe that you can do it." Loki replied, lifting her chin so he was now looking into her eyes.

"I've told you, again and again, how you must believe in yourself. This is another one of those times. You have to keep trying." He continued, watching Layla as she nodded.

"It's just so difficult," Layla said, "especially with Mom gone."

"I know, believe me, I miss her too."

Layla shook her head, hugging her father. Loki put his arms around her, closing his eyes tightly.

"Papa, why did it have to be her?" Layla asked, trying to keep from crying.

"I don't know, sweetheart. But I do know that we will get her back."

Layla hoped he was right, because she was tired of being away from her mother.

"We'll try training again when you feel up to it," Loki said, letting go of her and looking at her with caring green eyes, "why don't you go hang out with your friends for a while?"

Layla nodded a little, "Ok."

She gave him one more hug before starting to walk towards the way they had come in. Loki called after her, "Layla."

"Yeah?" Layla replied, turning around and looking at him while she walked backwards.

"Love you." He said with a smile.

Layla nodded. "I love you too." She replied, returning a smile, then she turned and kept walking.

Loki sighed a little after she had gone. He looked up at the sky, beginning to think of Natasha.

"She misses you so much, darling. I don't know how long even I can stand being without you." He said, knowing Natasha wouldn't hear but he wished she could. He shook his head, and started walking away from the meadow, how long would it be before he saw the love of his life again?

* * *

"Brother, at least eat something."

"I can't, Thor." Loki replied to his brother.

They had been invited to Stark Tower for dinner, but, Loki was just too upset to even touch his food. He hoped Layla was ok, for they hadn't seen her in a few hours, she was most likely at a friend's house. Thor frowned at Loki, knowing he was missing Natasha. He knew how his brother felt, he had had to be away from Jane when the Bifrost collapsed. However, Jane had been safe and sound, not like Natasha who had been captured. Loki kept his eyes downcast towards the table, everyone just stayed silent for a few minutes. Clint finally spoke up.

"You know, he should feel guilty, it's his fault Natasha is missing."

Bruce gave Clint a look, as if telling him he was making a bad move. Tony looked towards Loki, seeing that he had tensed up a bit. Steve stayed silent still, not wanting to start anything. Thor however, was looking a bit upset. He looked at Clint with a slight glare. Clint shrugged.

"What? I'm speaking the truth here." He said.

That was when Loki snapped. He stood from his chair, knocking it over on accident but, he still didn't pick it up. He pointed a finger at Clint.

"Keep talking, Barton, let's see where that gets you."

Clint looked at him, standing up and going over to him, so that they were now face to face. Steve put his head in one hand.

"Guys, can we not do this? Please?" He said.

"Yeah, I'm with Stars and Stripes on this one." Tony said, looking towards the archer and the god.

Loki shook his head, "No, this needs to be done."

"If Natasha were here, she would tell us to stop," Clint said, "she's not here now, and it's _your _fault."

"Do you think I don't see that she's not here?! Do you think me a fool?!" Loki retorted.

"All I'm saying is, if she had gone in there with me, it wouldn't have happened. But, no! She _had _to go with you! The one she once _hated_. You were never meant to be on our side, one of these days you're gonna stab us in the back! I can feel it!" Clint yelled.

"Then you are clearly mistaken. You're talking as if I _let_ Natasha get captured! I _love_ her, much more than you could ever know!" Loki replied, his eyes locked onto Clint.

"You don't understand me, and you never will." Loki said, knowing he was getting his point across.

Or at least, he thought...

Clint grabbed his bow rapidly, loosing an arrow.

"Clint! What are you doing?!" Thor yelled.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't shoot you in the face." Clint growled, glaring.

Loki clenched his jaw, putting his hands up as Hawkeye kept his bow trained on him.

"I'll give you a reason!" A new voice called from the door to the room.

Loki looked, hearing the voice of his daughter as she walked over to them. He watched as she went and stood between Hawkeye and Loki. She looked at Clint.

"Put the bow down, Clint." She said, a worried look in her eyes.

Clint had been surprised that she would do that, defend her father in a way that could have gotten her killed, had she came later. He hesitantly lowered his bow, looking at Layla. Layla looked at Loki, who was confused as to why she was here.

"Tony sent me a text," She said, "I came as quick as I could."

Loki looked at Tony, who just smiled and waved as if nothing had happened a few minutes ago. Loki looked back towards Layla who seemed as if she had something to say.

"Look, I know you two hate each other, but you need to stop. You have to get past your differences, and maybe even become better friends if it comes to that." Layla said, looking between her father and Clint.

"Clint, you've taught me so much. You even babysat me when Mom and Dad were busy. You didn't do it cause you had to, you did it because you wanted to. Do you know what Mom would want you to do? To stop acting like this. So, maybe if you start using that kind of attitude around Dad, you might start to like him better." She continued, hoping this was getting through to him.

Clint thought about all the things that she said, wondering if it was really making sense as to what she was saying. He then looked back at her, not saying a word. Layla then turned to Loki.

"And Papa, work on that temper of yours. I think you might just get out of hand one of these days and you'll kill someone." She said, laughing only a little. That caused Loki to smile a bit then he listened to what she had to say next.

"Don't let others comments get to you, please, just try to ignore them. I don't like seeing you and Clint fighting. I don't think anyone does. We'll have a higher chance of saving Mom if we all get along." Layla explained then she hugged him.

Afterward, she looked at everybody. Suddenly, Nick Fury's voice came from one of Tony's communication links.

"Fury to Avengers. We have located The Other and several Chitauri troops. They were last seen in the mountains near Pike's Peak in Colorado. Does anybody copy?"

Tony smirked a little and looked at the others.

"Guys, time to suit up."

* * *

**A/N: Holy...cow...This one took me FOREVER to write. I am so proud of this chapter, mainly because of how many words I got in this time. Just, wow. Over 2,000 words in this chapter. I usually only have 1,000 which I tend to not like, it makes it too short. This chapter was just awesome to write and I hope all of you reading this enjoy it. I have been having a hard time writing this as some may know because of my writer's block but I'm getting past that! The next chapter is gonna be a real shocker. You guys will love it. Anyway, keep a look out for the next one coming soon! **


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Italicized print is flashbacks. Enjoy this chapter guys. :) Like I said in the last one, it's a shocker, kinda.  
**

* * *

_A young two-year-old Layla jumped at hearing a loud noise in her house. She immediately dropped the toys she had been playing with in the living room and ran to the kitchen, where her father was making them lunch. Since Natasha was busy at work with S.H.I.E.L.D, and he wasn't needed by The Avengers, he had decided to stay home with their daughter. He heard the pitter-patter of her little feet as she ran into the room and hugged his leg tightly. He looked down at her, a soft smile on his face. _

_"Layla, has something frightened you?" He asked in a calm, caring tone. _

_Layla looked up at him, her blue eyes had little tears falling from them. She nodded at him, something had scared her. Loki frowned a little but he smiled again. He finished the last few things for their meal before turning off the stove and facing back towards his daughter. He bent over and picked Layla up, holding her close for a moment. He walked with her into the playroom again, approaching one of a few windows in the room, looking outside. He saw a garbage truck, and he smiled a little. _

_"Layla. I think I know what scared you." He said softly. _

_"I don't want to look, Daddy." Layla said, nuzzling her face into his neck. _

_Loki only chuckled a little at this, rubbing her back with one hand. _

_"It is merely a garbage truck, you've seen them before." He told her._

_At hearing what her father said, Layla lifted her head and looked over her shoulder to look outside. Once seeing the garbage truck and hearing the loud noise again, she laughed at herself a little and looked back at Loki. Loki smiled and gave her an Eskimo kiss before setting her down on the carpet floor of the playroom._

"Now you know there is nothing to be afraid of. There never will be." Loki said, looking down at her.

Layla smiled up at him, her blue eyes watching him for a moment before looking towards the kitchen. She pointed towards it, looking up at him. Loki tilted his head but then he remembered.

_"Oh, how could I forget. Come with me, darling. I'm sure you must be starving." He said with a smile, holding out his hand and Layla took it, following him to the kitchen._

* * *

This was it. This could be the day to save Natasha, and Layla knew it. If The Other and his troops were found in the mountains of Colorado, they had to have their base somewhere in there. Layla was dressed in battle armor that she had received from her father. She very much liked it, even if she had been a bit weary to wear it. She had already strapped a quiver to her back, she had a bow in her hand and a sword in its sheath at her side. Her father had taught her how to use a sword, and Layla knew it wasn't that hard, if you knew what you were doing of course. And with Clint teaching her to use a bow and arrow, that wouldn't be too difficult either. She looked around the room that she had been able to change in, then she looked down at the armor she wore, wondering if she was really ready for this. She looked up, hearing her uncle calling her name. She went to the door, opening it and leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.

* * *

As they all flew in the Quinjet, which was being flown by Hawkeye, with Steve in charge of the gun turret which he had been taught how to use. Bruce hadn't yet transformed into the Hulk, for he wasn't angry, and he wouldn't fit inside the Quinjet. He was sitting next to Tony, who was in his Iron Man suit, holding his helmet in his hands. Loki sat, fully clothed in his armor, his hands folded in his lap. Layla was seated next to him, Thor on the other side of her. She watched her father for a moment, wondering what he was thinking about. She took a good look at his armor, she couldn't remember if she had ever seen it before. She looked away, looking at the others. No one talked, not like normal. Her mother's absence was really taking its toll on everyone, on her and her father the most. She then thought, how lucky she was to still have Loki around. Without her father, she would surely go insane. Layla and everyone else looked up when they heard Steve speak.

"There they are. Everyone, get ready." He said, looking back towards them.

Hawkeye landed the Quinjet a ways away from the Chitauri, who hadn't noticed them since they had used cloaking on the Quinjet. It was much like the technology that the Helicarrier had that made it disappear. Hawkeye grabbed his bow, his arrows were already on his back. Cap had his shield, as he stood and faced the others, Layla could see his outfit more clearly. She understood why Tony always called him "Stars and Stripes". Iron Man let his faceplate cover his face and he looked towards Cap as he was walking towards the door that was now opening. Bruce was waiting for everyone to get out first. Layla followed Loki as he left the Quinjet after Iron Man and Hawkeye. Cap was waiting outside for them, he kept looking towards the Chitauri, hoping they wouldn't notice them quite yet. Thor had Mjolnir, twirling it around a little as he walked out. Once they were all out and they had given Bruce space, he shifted to the Hulk, angry as always. Cap looked towards Loki, beckoning him over to him. Loki walked over and stood by him. Steve said in a low voice, "Alright, The Other has to be somewhere around here. Can you sense him?" Loki closed his eyes, trying to catch even the slightest bit of a connection from The Other. He soon felt it, but he let it go immediately. His eyes flashed open and he looked at Steve, who was looking at him expectantly.

"He is near, but I cannot pinpoint his location."

"Got it." Steve replied and looked at the others.

"Alright, Iron Man and Hawkeye, you guys keep the Chitauri in this area, if any of them gets away, we're screwed. Hulk, Thor, and I will try to keep the fighting at bay. Loki and Layla, you two are going after The Other, he may be our only chance of finding Natasha." Steve said, giving each of them orders.

Iron Man picked up Hawkeye, flying with him to a nearby hill and setting him there, before flying off and around the perimeter of the area. Hulk, Thor, and Cap started towards the Chitauri and Loki and Layla split up from them, going to look for The Other. They knew he had to be somewhere among the Chitauri, or perhaps overlooking them.

"Dad." Layla said, looking to her right and up at her father's face as they walked along.

"Yes, Layla?" Loki replied, looking at her, his face held a serious expression.

"When we find The Other, how will we get him to tell us where Mom is? He's not going to just give us the information."

Loki sighed, looking down at the ground for a moment before he replied, "I do not know. He is smart, he could try to deceive us."

Loki move his hand once, making his scepter appear in his right hand. Layla watched him, her eyes scanning over the scepter in curiosity. She wondered where he had gotten such a weapon, after all, it looked a bit more threatening than most. Looking back at her father, she nodded at what she said.

"But, he couldn't trick us, Papa. You're the Trickster, if anything, you would be the one to trick him." Layla said, trying to go on a happier note, but that didn't work on Loki.

He looked back at her again, only allowing a small smile before looking up and around them. He looked behind them, over to their left more. He watched The Avengers as they fought, watching them to make sure none of them were in trouble. So far, everything looked good. Layla got his attention, pointing up to a figure up on a high hill. Loki looked and saw the figure, immediately recognizing it as The Other.

"Come." He said to Layla as he took her by the arm and teleported them up to where The Other was. Once he knew someone was near him, The Other turned around to see Loki and Layla standing there. He chuckled darkly.

"I knew you two would arrive. My, you certainly have matured." The Other said looking at Layla.

Layla glared at him, and as always, an overprotective Loki took a step forward.

"Leave her alone, we're here for Natasha. Where is she?" Loki demanded, his eyes locked on The Other as The Other laughed.

"You really expect me to tell you? How pathetic."

At this, Loki lost it, firing a bright blue light from his scepter at The Other, who easily dodged the attack. As the two fought, Layla climbed up higher on the hill, as there were many boulders. She climbed onto one that was more steady than the others, grabbing her bow and loosing an arrow. She locked her gaze on The Other, aiming at him. It was hard though, since the two were fighting, it was difficult to keep her aim on her enemy. She took a deep breath, remembering Clint's lessons and took a shot at The Other. The arrow stuck in her target's arm, right in the hand with the extra thumb. The Other growled in pain, but he didn't get long to recover at all as Loki punched him in the face, then whacked him with his scepter, sending him flying a few feet away. Layla had a determined smile on her face, nodding once. Loki walked towards The Other, as Layla followed along, walking on what little grass there was on top of the higher part of the hill. The Other leaped to his feet, pulling the arrow from his hand, Layla had a disgusted look on her face as he did so. She watched as her father and The Other fought a bit longer, soon enough they were face to face, both out of breath, and they were both close to just killing each other right there.

"Now, I'll ask again, where is Natasha?" Loki growled angrily.

The Other just responded with a smile, and his hand flew forward, a sickening sound could be heard from where Layla was standing. Loki gasped, as a blade pierced his side, it was more of a knife, but regardless it still hurt. It had cut through the leather that he wore, it was that sharp.

"No!" Layla screamed, her eyes full of fear, afraid for her father.

The Other's smile was even worse now, almost demonic.

"You will never see her again. I can assure you." He said, chuckling.

Loki looked at him, anger and pain in his eyes, and it only got worse as The Other twisted the blade a bit before ripping it from him, causing Loki to cry out, and fall to the ground. The Other grinned a bit and he looked at the knife, it was glowing a brilliant green. Layla tilted her head at seeing this, but she didn't get a long enough look as he disappeared from sight. Layla shook her head, looking back at her father as she climbed carefully down the hill and ran to him. She knelt down next to him, looking at his wound then at his face, tears welling in her eyes. Loki's eyes were closed, he knew she was there, but the pain was unbearable. His scepter lie on the ground by him, only a few inches away.


	7. Chapter 6

"Papa..." Layla said, putting a hand on Loki's, which lay on the ground, his other hand was on his wound, it was really bad, even for it being so small, it was bleeding a lot.

Loki groaned, his face contorting into a grimace. Layla shook her head, her expression only looking more worried. She held on tighter to his hand, wondering what to do to help, then she got an idea. Layla concentrated, closing her eyes and using the only magic she knew that she could do perfectly, telepathy.

_"Uncle Thor, Dad is in trouble, he was injured really badly, please come and help us."_

As she told Thor this, she hoped he would hear her. She knew that Thor loved his brother, cared about him deeply, he would be there as fast as he could. Sure enough, she saw him flying over to them, and as Layla looked past him, she could see that everything was under control. The Hulk and Cap were still fighting the Chitauri, they looked very beat up though. Iron Man was on the ground near them, shooting at the Chitauri with his repulsor rays. Layla scanned the area, looking for Hawkeye, she soon found him, he was still up on the high hill, and his aim was as sharp as ever. As Thor landed, worry started to fill him, the look in his eyes said everything.

"What...what happened?" His tone sounded concerned as he looked at Layla before going and kneeling down by his brother.

"The Other happened. He stabbed him with a dagger." Layla replied, looking at her uncle before turning her attention back to Loki, who still looked very much in pain.

He opened his eyes, looking over towards Thor. He looked as if he was angry, but, it was only because of all the pain he was in. His gaze softened a little upon seeing Thor, only because he was glad to have his brother nearby. At hearing about the dagger that Layla talked about, Thor turned to her, giving her a worried look.

"Did the dagger glow? Was it green?" He asked, his voice sounded angry but he was just concerned for Loki.

Layla nodded, she didn't know why Thor was so interested in the knife, but, from what she could tell, it wasn't good.

"We have to take him to Asgard." Thor said, starting to gather Loki in his arms.

"Asgard? You mean...as in the place you and Dad grew up in?" Layla asked.

"Yes, have you not been there?"

"No, remember, Dad wasn't allowed to return, or at least, that's what he told me."

Thor shook his head, sighing before looking at Layla, studying her confused face.

"Don't believe everything your father tells you." Thor said, frowning a little.

He stood up straight, holding Loki in his arms. Layla stood too, touching the earpiece and telling Steve that they had to leave immediately.

"What? Why?" Was Steve's reply, he sounded as if he was exhausted, and from what Layla could see, they had defeated all of the Chitauri.

"Because, Dad is hurt, really bad, and Thor says we have to take him to Asgard." Layla replied.

"Asgard?"

"Yeah, you know, the place Pointbreak and Reindeer Games are from?" Tony said, interrupting them.

"Can it, Stark." Clint said.

"Alright, everyone shut your mouth, I'm trying to hear Layla." Steve shouted slightly, causing Layla to wince a little.

"Ok, well, we'll be back...hopefully." Layla told him, her blue eyes wandering to her father, who was looking worse.

His hand that rested against his wound was now covered with his blood. Thor looked at Layla with worry. Layla then wondered how they were going to get to Asgard. Thor looked up towards the sky and shouted something. Something about a thing called the Bifrost and someone named Heimdall, at least, Layla thought it was a person. Thor grinned a bit and looked at Layla.

"Brace yourself." He said to her, smiling slightly, however Layla could see that his eyes still held worry within them.

Layla was a bit confused but then she looked up, seeing what looked like a giant beam of light coming towards them. She felt herself being lifted up rapidly as all three of them were pulled into the light.

* * *

"His wound is severe, it may take him a few days to fully recover. It could have been fatal, had you not gotten him here."

Thor and Layla listened carefully to the servant that spoke to them. They had gotten Loki safely to the healing room, of course, Heimdall had been a bit weary about letting them in. He didn't quite trust Loki, even with the state that he was currently in. Layla looked around them as they stood outside the healing room. She was interested in everything around her. The city of Asgard was golden, just as her father had described it through the stories he used to tell her as a child. Layla smiled a little as she was pulled from reality.

* * *

_Loki walked into the livingroom, looking for Layla as it was her bedtime. Natasha was looking in the playroom, searching for her too. Layla had decided that it would be funny to hide in order to stay up later. Like some children, she wanted to stay up as late as her parents did. Loki stopped walking around the room, stopping next to the couch. He thought for a moment, looking at a pile of blankets sitting on the couch. Loki smiled a little, he had an idea where Layla was now. No, not an idea, he knew she was there. He sat down near the blankets, acting as if he knew nothing was there besides the blankets themselves. He smirked a little, his emerald eyes scanning over each different colored blanket. He then waved his hand once, making the blankets disappear to reveal his daughter. Layla smiled innocently at him._

_"Hi, Daddy." She said, laughing._

_Loki smiled, chuckling softly as he outstretched both of his arms toward Layla. He had made the blankets reappear on the chair across from the couch, all folded beforehand. Layla sighed a little, her face showing signs that she wasn't all that happy with going to bed. Still, she crawled into her father's arms, putting her own around his neck. Loki stood up, holding Layla tightly against him. Natasha came into the room, looking slightly worried, but her worry dissipated when she saw Layla with Loki. She smiled softly before speaking, "Well, I had a feeling you would find her before me."_

_"Then why were you so worried, love?" He replied, smirking._

_Natasha rolled her eyes._

_"You would be worried too." She said, clearly her tone was serious._

_Loki nodded, not wanting to get in a fight with her. Besides, he would feel worried if he hadn't been able to find his daughter._

_ "Mommy." Layla's voice sounded, before she yawned and layed her chin on Loki's shoulder._

_Natasha moved to the side of Loki, getting a better glance at Layla's face._

"What is it, sweetie?" Natasha asked, watching Layla with adoration in her eyes.

_"Why can't I stay up with you and Daddy?"_

_"Because this is the only time Daddy and I get to spend with each other. And you need your sleep, so you aren't crabby in the morning." Natasha replied, taking her hand and putting some of Layla's hair behind her ear._

_Loki smiled, listening to the two of them talk, it was rather soothing to his ears. He was glad that he was lucky enough to have his own family, of course, he missed Thor at times, along with Frigga. Odin however, he wasn't so sure how he felt about the Allfather. He was pulled from his thoughts at hearing Layla and Natasha saying goodnight to one another. Loki smiled and started on his way to Layla's room, which was upstairs with Loki and Natasha's. Once he reached the stairs, he was careful to ascend up them slowly. He did not want to take a fall, especially with his daughter in his arms. When he reached the top of the stairs, he walked straight, walking past the doorway to the room he shared with Natasha and continuing to walk until he reached Layla's bed. He gently set her down on her bed, covering her up. He leaned down and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, afterward telling her goodnight. Layla sat up in her bed when she saw Loki starting to leave the room._

_"Papa?" She said, trying to get his attention._

_Loki turned around, his eyebrows furrowing together in slight confusion._

_"What is it, Layla?"_

_"Can you tell me a story?" Layla gave him a look, a look that Loki couldn't resist._

It was just too cute, especially her big blue eyes that stared at him.

_He smiled before walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed near to her._

_"Of course I will." He told her, watching as her face brightened up, a beaming smile coming to her face._

_Layla listened intently as Loki told her stories of great warriors who lived in a golden city. The city was called Asgard. Two brothers were the princes and lived in Asgard's palace. Layla smiled, she was already enjoying this story.  
_

* * *

"Layla?" Thor asked, watching as Layla seemed to be staring off into space.

"Huh? What?" She replied, looking at him.

"Are you alright?"

"I...I'm fine." She said, smiling a little at him.

Thor nodded before looking towards the healing room. Layla could tell he dearly wanted to see his brother. Layla too wanted the same. She couldn't shake the memory within her mind, though. She missed listening to her father's stories. She longed to hear them.

* * *

**A/N: So this one took a while, I know. I just had to find the perfect way to write it. And well, this was the outcome. If it disappoints anyone, sorry. I really try my hardest. So, how about that Thor 2 Trailer? Good Lord, so much Loki! Is it November yet? Please review, I need motivation to write the next chapter. :)**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, been a while, huh guys? Anyways, finally got to this chapter. Had REALLY BAD writers block and couldn't think of how to write it. But yeah, enjoy the new chapter.**

* * *

_Layla laughed at her father as he hid his face with his hands. He had been doing this for at least ten minutes, but Layla, like any child was enjoying it. They were sitting on the couch in their living room, Natasha sat in a recliner across from them, her chin rested on top of one of her hands, which was balled up in a fist. She smiled, watching the two._

_"Layla, you can't see me." Loki said, his face still hidden, he was laughing because of hearing Layla's little giggles._

_"Yes, I can, Daddy." Layla replied, still giggling._

_Loki peeked out from behind his hands to look at her before hiding again. Layla laughed again, throwing her head back as she did so. She crawled over to Loki and getting to her knees, she took his hands away from his face. Loki chuckled a bit, a smile on his face as Layla went to sit in his lap. Natasha just shook her head a bit, her lips still forming a smile. Watching her daughter and her lover interact had to be one of her favorite pass times. She stood up at hearing the telephone ring and she walked over, picking it up and answering it. Layla turned to look at her father who was watching Natasha, but he soon shifted his attention to his daughter. With a slight smirk, he poked Layla in the side, causing Layla to giggle slightly, then she started to laugh even more as Loki tickled her a little. Loki stopped, he couldn't help but to laugh. Layla's laugh was just too cute. He watched his daughter, a gentle smile on his face.  
_

* * *

Loki's eyes flashed open, and he looked around. He couldn't see very well at the moment, as his vision was blurry. He coughed a few times before looking at himself, noticing that his armor was gone. Now he wore a green tunic, and black pants, from what he could see through his blurred vision. He then continued to look around the room, recognizing familiar golden walls, and the bed that he lied on, wasn't like his, no, it was more of a bed for a peasant. This led him to the only answer as to what this room was; the healing room. He was in Asgard. Great..., Loki thought. He sighed before he tried to sit up.

Pain.

It was possibly the worst thing he had felt, or one of the worst things. He let out a groan, putting his left hand over the wound, which was on his right side. He could feel something else though, it wasn't the wound itself, but something covering it. He lifted his shirt up, only to the point of seeing the wound. However, the wasn't much to see, just a bandage, or rather, many bandage wraps which went all the way around his torso. He put his shirt back down, and he lied back on his back, looking up at the ceiling. As he lay there, he began to wonder where Layla was, he hoped she was alright.

* * *

"Did you return victorious?" Natasha asked The Other as he walked past her into the his room, not answering her question.

He beckoned to her so she would follow. Natasha followed him, even if the in the back of her mind she was screaming at herself to stop. She really hated being here, she wanted to escape, however, the thoughts that The Other had put into her mind soon pushed her previous thoughts away as she felt she was under The Other's full control again. She watched The Other as he pulled out the dagger that he had stabbed Loki with. It was still glowing that brilliant green.

"Why is that glowing?" Natasha asked, watching him as he was looking over the dagger, running a hand along it.

"It will give me more power than I have ever possessed." The Other replied, not looking away from the glowing knife.

Natasha crossed her arms, her eyebrows furrowed together as she seemed to be thinking, and then she spoke again, "So, what caused the knife to glow? I don't recall it being that way when you left."

"It possesses a sorcerer's magic, well, some of it."

"A sorcerer?" Natasha seemed a bit confused, but then The Other explained to her who he took the magic from.

Loki. This name sparked her own thoughts to come back to her briefly. She didn't let The Other know that she was her normal self right now. She thought about Loki as much as she could. Thinking about the first time they met, then the second, everything that they did up until before she was captured. It had felt so good to think of him. However, The Other had noticed how silent she was and questioned why. Natasha simply said that she didn't have anything to say. The Other bought it. Natasha was relieved, but within only a few seconds, she was back to her brainwashed state again. She had thought of her family one last time before that. Oh, how she wanted someone, anyone, to rescue her.

* * *

"Clint, you need to calm down." Steve said as he watched the archer pacing back and forth in the kitchen.

They had all gone back to Stark Tower, waiting for Thor, Layla, and Loki to come back from Asgard. Clint had been worrying about everyone's safety, even Loki's surprisingly, and he hadn't stopped pacing since they had gotten back, which had been almost an hour now.

"Steve, I can't. I can't keep calm knowing that Natasha is missing, and Thor, his crazy brother, and Layla are all in another realm. God, for all we know, the Chitauri could try another attack on New York!" Clint said, throwing his arms up in the air.

"I think you just need to let loose for a while." Tony said from where he sat on the couch, across from Steve who sat on the other couch.

"Not an option, right now, Tony." Steve told him, giving him a look.

"Oh, come on. Even Bruce-" Tony started to say before Bruce interrupted him.

"Don't bring that up, Tony."

"Wow, you guys are really fun today." Tony said, clearly being sarcastic.

* * *

"Come on, Uncle Thor, please? I have to find my mom, I can save her." Layla said, her eyes searching Thor's face for any sign that he would give in to her.

"I am sorry, Layla, but your father would be very upset if I let you go alone. And as of now, I cannot leave him here to go with you." Thor replied, his expression was a caring one, but it did have a slight stern edge to it.

"Well.." Layla started to say, but she stopped.

Dad has to let me, Layla thought before she turned and walked to where her father was resting in the healing room. She ignored Thor's protests, trying to get her to stay there with him.

* * *

"Don't...don't go..."

Loki woke with a start, he had been talking in his sleep, which hadn't lasted very long. He looked around, realizing that he was still in Asgard, and not on that Chitauri ship. He had been dreaming about the moment that Natasha had been brainwashed. Only, in the dream, she had told him she was leaving, never to come back. At this thought, Loki shut his eyes tightly to prevent any tears from leaving his eyes. However, that failed as one tear leaked from his eye to trail down his cheek. He opened his eyes at hearing a soft but firm knock on the door.

"Come in." He said, his voice sounded a bit weak, since he was still in pain.

When seeing Layla enter the room, Loki was a bit happier. Layla smiled softly at her father before pulling up a chair and sitting next to the left side of the bed. Loki looked at Layla, returning a smile towards her.

"How are you feeling?" Layla asked, watching her father.

"I'm still in pain, but, other than that I think I will be fine." Loki told her, the smile upon his face never-fading.

Layla nodded, glad that her father was recovering at least a little bit. They sat in silence for a few moments before Layla finally got the courage to tell him what she had wanted to.

"Papa?"

"Yes, Layla?" Loki replied, shifting his gaze towards her after he had been looking at the ceiling.

Layla shifted around in her seat slightly, resting her hands in her lap.

"I'm going to save Mom. I know I can do it."

Loki watched Layla for a minute. Any little trace of calm he had had within him faded rather quickly.

"What? Layla, you can not go alone. Not against him. Not with knowing that your own mother could attack you as well!"

Loki shuddered a bit just at the thought of Natasha trying to hurt her own daughter.

"Dad, please-"

"No!" Loki told her, his voice had risen, and he had sat up again, which caused him pain yet again. He grimaced, holding his side before he looked at his daughter.

"I forbid it. You're not going alone, that's final." His tone was harsh, a lot different from the calm father he had been only moments ago.

This was the side of Loki that Layla had never wanted to see. She nodded to her father's words before getting up and leaving the room. Before she closed the door, she looked at him.

"Get better soon, Papa." She said, looking at him with sad blue eyes before she left.

At hearing the door close, Loki sighed, putting his head in one hand.

"I'm sorry, I only want to protect you." He said softly.

_I can't lose you, not like I did Natasha.  
_

* * *

Layla secured her quiver on her back and put the sword that she had used in the battle into its sheath on her leg. She held her bow in her right hand.

_I'm sorry, Papa, but I must disobey you._


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: I finally did it guys! The next chapter! I had really REALLY bad writer's block but I finally figured out what to write for this one! I know it was like a month of waiting but it's finally here. I will try to post chapters more often but, I'm always busy with life and school so we'll see what happens. I'll try to get another chapter up for The Fallout too. Please be patient with me. :) Without further ado...Chapter 8.**

* * *

As Layla walked along the Rainbow Bridge, she looked around herself, making sure that her uncle hadn't noticed that she was missing. She especially hoped that her father couldn't sense that she was leaving. As she looked straight ahead, she saw Heimdall, the gatekeeper, as Thor had told her. He was standing there as he usually did, sword in hand and his eyes un-blinking. In a way, he was slightly creepy, or at least that was what Layla thought. She lowered her gaze only slightly as she approached Heimdall, and even if she was technically a princess, she still felt that Heimdall may be superior to her.

"And why does the daughter of Prince Loki cower in my presence?"

It was Heimdall's voice, and Layla forced herself to look up at him.

"How did you know that I was his daughter?"

"I see everything, did Thor not tell you?"

Layla shook her head, but then she straightened herself up, standing up straight.

"If I may ask, will you be so kind as to let me go home?" Layla asked, her facial features now showing a bright smile, her eyes fixed on the gatekeeper.

Heimdall watched her briefly before he bowed his head slightly.

"I do not know what your intentions are, but I do hope it doesn't have something to do with those foul creatures, the Chitauri, and their leader." He said, watching Layla closely before he turned around and walked into the Bifrost room.

Layla bit her lip, that was exactly what this was about, but she couldn't share that information with Heimdall. All that was on her mind was getting her mother back, and maybe getting revenge on The Other for what he did to her father. However, Layla pushed those thoughts from her mind as she entered the Bifrost room. She looked around, looking at the designs and patterns that lined the golden walls. She hadn't had time to really look around when she came here with Thor and her father. She watched Heimdall as he put his sword into a weird contraption, which Layla could only assume was the way to control the Bifrost. Layla looked up at Heimdall after she walked around to stand near the now opened Bifrost.

"You will tell no one that I've gone." She told him, her tone wasn't commanding but it wasn't very nice like it usually was.

Heimdall nodded before he spoke, "I will keep silent."

"Good," Layla replied, managing a soft smile towards the god, "now, will you send me back to Earth?" She asked, and she watched Heimdall nod once again before he transported her back to her home realm.

* * *

Thor knocked on Loki's door, hoping his brother would allow him into his temporary room.

"Enter."

Loki's voice didn't sound very good, but, Thor knew it wouldn't last, after all, his brother healed quickly. Thor grasped the door handle and opened the door. Upon seeing Loki, Thor smiled, glad to see that Loki was awake, but he was a bit upset that Loki was sitting upright. He wasn't supposed to, not yet at least, that was just what the servant told him.

"How are you faring, brother?" Thor asked, going to sit in the chair that Layla had been sitting in not even moments before.

"About as well as one can when they are hurt." Loki replied, switching his position a bit, causing him to wince in pain before he looked at Thor. "Why are you here, brother?" Loki asked, watching Thor, his emerald gaze stayed locked on his elder brother.

"I came to check on you, and to see if Layla was with you. I told her not to disturb you earlier."

"Layla was here, but then she left, I thought she had gone back to you. Did she?"

"I haven't seen her."

Loki bit his lip, looking at the floor, he was trying to figure out where Layla would go. He soon came to a realization and his eyes flicked rapidly to Thor again as he looked at him.

"Midgard." He said, his voice sounding worried.

"Midgard? I...I do not understand..." Thor began, only to be interrupted by Loki.

"Layla went there, she told me she wanted to go save Natasha."

"On her own?" Thor said, his voice sounded incredulous, his eyebrows raising.

Loki nodded.

"She hasn't been able to cope very well with losing her mother to _them_. Neither have I. However, I'm worried about her, she could get herself killed."

Thor put his hand upon his brother's shoulder, looking his brother in the eyes.

"Do not worry, I will go and find Layla, I can help her save Natasha." Thor said, a smile spreading across his face.

Loki shook his head, his already worried facial expression only grew more worried as Thor declared what he was going to do.

"No, Thor. I will not allow you to-"

"And what are you going to do to stop me? You're injured, brother. Until you are back on your feet again, I will protect Layla. She is my niece, and I was to watch over her. Just as Clint and the others did and were supposed to do. If you trusted the archer to watch your daughter, surely you can let your own brother keep her safe."

Loki listened to his brother, his expression softened a little but, that did not change the fact that he was worried about his daughter. Loki supposed that Thor was right, that he had every right to keep an eye on Layla. Loki knew this, he was just scared about losing either one of them. Losing Natasha, that had hurt Loki in many ways, and he couldn't imagine what he would end up like if he lost Thor and Layla. They were a family, they needed to stay together. That was a bit hard to do however when your wife was kidnapped and having a stubborn daughter. Loki finally nodded to Thor's words.

"Very well, go. Don't come crying to me when you get caught." Loki said, his face serious.

Thor could only laugh at what Loki said, it had been a while since Loki had spoken in jest. Loki smiled at Thor but that faded when Thor hugged him. Loki cried out since Thor had hugged him a bit too hard.

"My side, you oaf!" Loki shouted at him, causing the big guy to let him go and say at least a million apologies as Loki put a hand on his injured side. Loki looked up at Thor's hurt expression as the thunder-god clasped his hands in front of himself, his head bowed with a frown upon his face.

"I truly am sorry, Loki. I...I forgot." Thor said, finally looking at Loki with sad blue eyes.

Loki watched his brother curiously, looking into Thor's blue eyes. Where had he seen that look before?

"You're forgiven, brother. Just, be more careful, that's all." Loki told Thor, managing a smile, which Thor responded to by giving Loki a more gentle hug. Loki got his arms out from under Thor's embrace so that he could hug him back.

"I'm sorry I snapped." Loki said, feeling a slight bit of guilt, something he rarely felt.

"Don't be, brother. I hurt you, it was my fault." Thor said.

"Well, I didn't need to be a jerk, even if it hurt." Loki replied, chuckling.

"You're not a jerk, brother. Since when do you use such mortal terms?" Thor asked, laughing a little himself.

"Thor, think about it, I lived with them. They teach me things."

Thor couldn't help but to laugh again, he had missed this side of Loki.

* * *

"_Layla?"_

"_Yeah?"_

"_Are you ready?"_

"_Yeah, I'm coming!"_

_Layla ran down the stairs as quickly as she could. Her mother and father were going to teach her a few fighting techniques. She was excited, but at the same time, she wondered why they really needed to do this. She didn't quite understand, but then again, she knew it must be necessary for some reason. She wondered if any other ten-year-old girls had to do this, or other __**kids **__for that matter. Layla went outside, seeing no one in sight, but her parents had told her to meet back here. And yet, they weren't here themselves. Layla looked around, finally deciding to find her voice._

"_Mom?"_

_No answer._

"_Papa?"_

_Nothing that time either._

"_Where are you guys?" Layla asked, her voice sounding a bit worried._

_Layla took a few more steps out onto the lawn, but then she stopped, she had heard something. A twig snapping, and for some reason, she could sense something behind her. She whirled around and ducked, bending herself backwards enough so that the fist that had flown towards her would miss. After that, she fought back, acting on instinct. She only then realized that it was her mother that she was fighting. She was shocked, but then she realized that this was part of the training. Somehow, Natasha was able to spin Layla around, and in that time, Natasha disappeared, as if she hadn't been there at all. Layla looked around, fists clenched at her side as she readied herself for anything. Suddenly, out of no where, Loki materialized in front of her. Once again, Layla acted on her instincts, throwing a punch towards her father, he made no attempt to block it. _

_The punch went right through him._

_Layla's eyes widened with shock. _

_Suddenly, she was knocked to the ground, she wasn't in pain but it still surprised her. Before she knew it though, she was back on her feet, an arm wrapping around her neck and pulling her back. _What do you do, now?_ It was a voice inside her head, her father's! But how?! Layla remembered her father could talk telepathically. Layla wriggled, trying to get out of her father's grip. Soon enough, she used her foot and ran it down her father's shin. Loki acted as if he was injured, letting her go. He knew that if other people, or creatures, attempted to harm her that they wouldn't have something such as boots to protect their legs. The Chitauri for instance, they were one of a few beings that didn't wear boots. Layla then proceeded to fight her father, doing her best not to truly harm him. Natasha soon joined the mix, going at Layla when she wasn't fighting Loki. Layla fended them both off, to both of the parent's surprise. _

_After a few minutes, Loki and Natasha backed off, and Layla stood with her hands behind her back, looking at her parents innocently._

"_How did I do?" She asked, smiling a bit._

_She could say that she was proud of herself, even if it hadn't been a real fight, it had felt real to her and she thought she had done a good job defending herself. Natasha smiled, stepping forward and running a hand through her daughter's long, black hair. Layla was growing like a weed, she was nearly as tall as her. Natasha wondered whether she would surpass her in height, to possibly being as tall or just a bit short of Loki's height. Natasha then spoke, answering her daughter's question, "You fought bravely, treating it as though it was a real fight, and I think that may come in handy later. I'll have to teach you a few of my own moves as well." She said, smiling brighter as she saw Layla beam, her bright blue eyes watching her mother. _

_Natasha looked at Loki, smiling towards him before she backed up and let him go to Layla. Since Loki was much taller than Layla, he felt it was right to kneel down. Layla was still smiling, she wanted to hear what her father had to say about her fighting skills._

"_I agree with what your mother said, you did fight quite well," Loki said, his expression was soft as he smiled at Layla, "you knew exactly what to do when I had you by the neck, and, even if there were other ways, you used one that was most effective. It will surely hurt your opponents. I am proud of you, Layla." He said, and put his arms around Layla as she hugged him. Loki chuckled softly before he stood up, holding his daughter in his arms. Layla laughed. "No way out of this one, Layla." Loki said, laughing before he spun them both around once. He gave her a kiss on her head before he set her down. Natasha had her arms crossed, a look of pride on her face as she watched Loki and their daughter. Loki set Layla down and he ruffled her hair a little with one hand. He chuckled as Layla fixed her hair before giving him a look. Loki smiled as he cupped one side of her face with his hand, bending over slightly. "You are strong, Layla. Don't ever doubt that." He told her, watching the young girl nod.  
_

* * *

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter. :) Review, it helps me get motivation to write the next chapter._  
_**


	10. Chapter 9

Layla had appeared in New York City, or at least in an alleyway. Heimdall had been smart with not putting her in plain sight. Otherwise, people might just freak out, thinking it was another sort of alien attack. An alien attack that had happened twice. Layla sighed before she began walking to Stark Tower, luckily she was close so she wouldn't have to walk too far. She honestly could say that she was extremely excited to see everyone. Just thinking about the remaining Avengers made her smile.

* * *

"Guys? Are you here?" Layla called when she got to one of the top floors of Stark Tower, which was where The Avengers would usually hang out and talk when they weren't stopping crime or dealing with their other jobs. Layla looked around, surely they had to be here. She turned towards the sound of a voice.

"Layla?"

Clint. Layla should have known he would be the first to greet her.

Clint walked over to her from the room next door, which was most likely where the others were. Layla smiled as he gave her a hug, she hugged him right back.

"Thought you weren't coming back, kid. I was starting to worry." Clint said with a slight smile towards her when he let go of her.

Layla still smiled, and she laughed a bit at what Clint had said.

"I will always come back here, this is my home. When we get Mom back, and Dad gets to leave Asgard, I think we'll be living in our old house. I kind of like it there anyway. Not that Stark Tower isn't cool or anything." Layla replied with a slight giggle.

Clint nodded a bit then he looked towards where he had walked in before he looked back at Layla.

"How about you say hi to everyone else?" He said, gesturing towards the room and watching Layla as she walked into the other room. Afterward, he followed her.

* * *

"You want to do what now?" Tony asked Layla after she had just explained that she was going to save Natasha.

"Layla, that is dangerous, you shouldn't go alone." Steve said, his voice had a concerned tone to it.

"I won't be alone, you guys are going to help me." Layla replied, looking at all of them. Bruce looked as though he was thinking, Clint was just sitting on the couch next to Layla, he was silent. Steve held the bridge of his nose between his pointer finger and his thumb, as if he was annoyed with this situation. Tony just sat there on the other couch, which Steve was also sitting on next to the billionaire. Tony actually looked amused by the way everyone was acting.

"Come on, guys. Cut Layla some slack, I mean, we should go save Natasha, she would do the same for us if we were in trouble." Tony said.

"I know that, Stark. It's too risky though, another one of us could be lost to those creatures." Steve replied, looking at Tony briefly before he glanced at everyone else.

Everyone looked as they heard the elevator doors open again. After hearing footsteps coming their way, Tony had a smile on his face. He seemed to know exactly who it was. He stood up and went over to Pepper as she came in sight. He turned to the others.

"Carry on, guys. Pep..." Tony went on as he ushered her away.

Layla almost laughed, but she kept it inside. The way Tony acted had always made her laugh. She then looked at Steve, then Bruce, and finally Clint. However, Layla jumped up at hearing thunder outside, she looked out the large glass window. When seeing Thor land outside where Tony would usually go after flying in his Iron Man suit, she bit her lip. What if her father had sent Thor? Clint stood up and walked over to open the door so that Thor could come in. Thor nodded to Clint, greeting his friend before he went over to Layla.

"Don't tell me, Dad sent you, didn't he?" Layla said, frowning, her arms crossed.

"Actually, I had to persuade him to let me come here. I'm here to accompany you to save Natasha." Thor stated in that cheerful tone that he always had.

Layla wasn't so sure that was the reason that Thor was here. She frowned a little, letting her blue eyes drift to look at the floor before she returned her gaze to her uncle.

"No, I have to go alone." She said.

Thor looked confused, and it took him a moment to reply, he seemed to be struggling to find the right words. Steve stood up and went over to Layla, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Layla, that isn't a smart idea."

"I know," Layla replied, "but my mother needs me, and I'll do anything to get her back, even if it means losing myself afterward."

"Listen to yourself," Clint butted into the conversation, he didn't look too pleased, "I am _not _letting you do this alone."

"Neither will I. I promised Loki that I would protect you." Thor said, his tone sounded almost unhappy, and Layla never liked it when her uncle was angry.

"Natasha means a lot to all of us."

It was Bruce this time that said this, which caused Layla and the three older men to look at him. Bruce only looked at Layla, he had never been very close to her, but he had always felt as though he should keep her safe, like the others had done.

"Natasha and I are and always will be good friends, and I do not want to lose my friend _and _her daughter too. Layla, if you don't let all of us help, then pick someone to at least stay nearby in case you do need help." Bruce said, his brown eyes watching Layla carefully as she shifted around on her feet. Such a movement would remind the others of Loki, as he would shift on his feet when he was nervous, or perhaps worried about something. Layla seemed to be pondering and thinking everything over before she looked at Bruce with a smile then she turned to look at Clint, Thor, then Steve.

"Alright." She said, smiling.

Clint crossed his arms, and as he watched Layla, he could have sworn he'd seen Natasha in her, for the two were similar, but Layla possessed more of her father's personality than her mother's.

"So, who's it gonna be?" Clint asked.

Layla looked between her uncle Thor and then Clint. Steve just smiled softly, backing away. He understood that she felt a deeper connection with the other two, and he was just fine with that.

"Guess what? You're both going, because there is no way I can pick between the best archer in the world, and the greatest uncle in all the Nine Realms." Layla said with a slight laugh.

Thor laughed loudly.

"Then, let us go, we will find victory on this day, and if not then, tomorrow!" Thor said as he walked off to where the Quinjet was stored.

All Layla could do was laugh then, and she shook her head. "Goofball." She muttered before she glanced at Clint, who nodded towards her and they followed after the Asgardian prince.

* * *

Loki's eyes fluttered open and he looked around, his eyes scanning over various objects. He then sat up slowly and as he looked around more, he realized that this was his chamber. The room which he had not seen in a long time. He tried to remember how exactly he had gotten here, and as he did, he could only remember bits and pieces. The servants had supported him as he walked, which could only mean that his side still wasn't better. Of course, it had been but a few days. He sighed. He just wished that the pain would leave him already. That he would be able to do things on his own. His thoughts were stopped when he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in." Loki said, his voice was almost normal now that he wasn't so weak.

Loki watched as his mother appeared from around the door, and she shut it behind her. Loki's eyes widened a bit, he couldn't remember when he had last seen her, it had been so long. Frigga looked at her son lovingly, her hands were folded in front of her as she walked around his bed and pulled a chair over, sitting down near the side of the bed. Loki could hardly even speak, and when he finally did, he could feel a slight sadness seeping into him.

"...Mother?..." It was as if he had struggled to say the word.

Frigga leaned forward to hug him lightly, instantly his arms went around her tightly.

"Oh, how I've missed you." Frigga told Loki in a soft tone, her fingers combing through his hair.

Loki shut his eyes tightly, trying to keep any tears from escaping his eyes.

"And I...you." Loki said, a sob escaping him, and he only hugged her closer.

Frigga could only smile, her own tears running down her cheeks. She had never thought she would see him again.

Loki and Frigga spent the rest of the time talking, and Loki had told her of Natasha, Layla, the other Avengers, how they were not enemies anymore, and everything had been going fine over the past few years. Frigga had listened intently to his story, just holding one of his hands in hers as she listened. How she wanted to meet her granddaughter, and her grandson from what she had heard of him from Thor. Loki and Frigga's conversation came to a halt however, as a guard knocked on the door. Frigga stood and opened the door.

"My Queen, I am sorry that I have disturbed you and your son, but, Thor has returned with two others."

"What do they look like?"

"One of them is young, a girl with long jet black hair. The other, has red hair." The guard replied.

Loki's eyes widened, he couldn't believe it. _Natasha_, _**my **__Natasha has been saved._ Loki thought, a slight smile coming to his face.

* * *

_Three days earlier..._

"How are you going to sneak in? You haven't mastered your magic yet." Clint said in a worried tone towards Layla.

Layla shrugged.

"I guess I'll just have to suck it up, and keep trying." She replied.

"And if you need our help? How are you going to-" Thor started to say before Clint interrupted.

"I have this," Clint said, touching his ear piece twice, "she has her own as well."

Layla nodded, turning her head and showing Thor, who just shook his head.

"I'll never understand mortal technology." He said.

Layla smiled, shaking her head a bit before she gave them both quick hugs.

"Let's do this." She said, and she concentrated, closing her eyes. Within seconds, she teleported, heading to the inside of The Other's base.

* * *

**A/N: Here is the next chapter, I know it took forever and I am terribly sorry. With school and stuff, it's hard to get some writing in. I still need to update The Fallout. I feel a bit ashamed for not updating it, but I figured that I should get Of Bravery and Trust done before I work on that one. So yeah, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, guys. I'm actually quite proud of this one. Reviews would be nice to help keep my motivation up. :) Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

Layla reappeared on the top of Pike's Peak, and she looked around. Her ears had popped the minute she got up there, and she winced a little bit since it did hurt a bit. Afterward, Layla looked up towards a building, she assumed that this building had been altered, since it appeared to be more alien-like and much larger than what most said it was. Once Layla drew closer to the building after walking slowly towards it, she spotted two Chitauri guards at the entrance and she immediately took cover behind a nearby rock. She grabbed her bow and loosed an arrow. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before she got up on one knee and pointed the arrow towards one of them. She kept her breathing steady and she finally let the arrow shoot towards the Chitauri. The arrow went right into the Chitauri's skull, and it fell onto the other one, who once on the ground, pushed the dead Chitauri off of itself. Layla hid behind the rock, shutting her eyes tightly. She could only pray that the warrior wouldn't come near her. She put her bow on her back, biting her lip before she took out her sword. She ran a hand over the part that wasn't sharp, just taking deep but quiet breaths.

_Be brave_, her father would tell her as they practiced fighting, _never let your enemy gain the upper hand, don't show weakness._

As Layla thought of this, it made a smile come to her face. She only wished she was as brave as her dad, fearless like her mom. _But I am_, Layla thought to herself, and when sensing the enemy nearby her, she stood up rapidly, swinging her sword until it met its target. Layla closed her eyes as blood spurted from the Chitauri's wound and it howled in pain. Layla kicked the foul creature, causing it to land on its back on the ground. She delivered a fatal blow with the sword before she left the scene, going towards the entrance of the building.

* * *

Natasha reported to where she was supposed to be, which was near the main room, which had once been a sort of souvenir shop, before the Chitauri destroyed it that is. Natasha had two Chitauri soldiers with her, and she gave them orders in their language which she had learned quite quickly because of The Other. There had just been some type of disturbance near the front of the building. Natasha watched the soldiers that had accompanied her as they ran out of the room, guns in hand as they went to the main entrance. Natasha looked around before she too left the room, but instead of going right as the soldiers had, she went left. She grabbed one of her guns from her holster, looking around, alert and paying attention, should whoever was invading them was going to attack. However, Natasha's real thoughts, although blurred, told her that this was a good thing. Someone was coming to save her. Those thoughts were overridden though by the thoughts which had been placed in her mind, the thoughts that made her obey anything The Other told her.

* * *

Layla had put her sword in her sheath once she was inside the building. She was taking cover each time she sensed Chitauri warriors walking or running through the different hallways. The only thing on Layla's mind was finding her mother, and getting her out of here alive. However, another part of Layla wanted to hunt down The Other, and make him pay for ever messing with her family. Layla looked both ways as she left her hiding place before she went left, walking down the long hallway. She soon came to what looked like a souvenir shop. Her blue eyes scanned the room as she stood in the center of it. Layla froze at feeling something against the back of her head. Then a very, very familiar voice.

"I thought I'd seen something after I left. You're quite sneaky."

Layla slowly turned around, not caring whether Natasha would attack her or not. When her eyes met her mother's, Layla took a step back. Natasha's eyes were blue, but they were far brighter than her normal eye color. As Natasha looked back at Layla, something told her not to shoot the girl standing before her. _Orders are orders, why can't I just shoot her? _ Natasha thought, but then she suddenly regained her own thoughts again.

"Layla?" Natasha's voice sounded shaky as she said her daughter's name.

Layla didn't even have a chance to reply as Natasha let out a slight groan. Layla shook her head, sighing, although, she was also trying to hold back tears. She could tell how broken her mother was as of now. She could see this visibly by Natasha's condition. She had bruises along her jaw line, above one of her eyebrows, but she also had a scar on the tops of her hands. Layla bit her lip before she looked Natasha in the eyes after Natasha had returned her attention to her. Layla clenched her hands into fists, seeing that her mother's eyes had gone back to that light blue again.

"I'm going to help you." Layla said, confidence in her voice.

Natasha only smirked, something that she usually didn't do.

"You won't succeed." Natasha replied, and in a quick movement, she kicked Layla's feet out from under her, causing Layla to fall to the floor. Layla's eyes widened before she quickly rolled out-of-the-way as Natasha tried to kick her again. Layla leaped to her feet, she saw her opportunity to strike. She threw a punch towards her mother's face, only to have Natasha dodge. That is what Layla had wanted her to do. She elbowed her stomach, causing her to double over in pain. Afterward, Layla tripped her, causing her head to collide with the floor. Natasha passed out, just as Layla had suspected what would happen.

She felt horrible. She had never wanted to hurt her mother in such a way, but, it was the only way to get her out of her brainwashed state. Layla knelt down by her, lifting her gently so that she was in a sitting position. She gave her a kiss on her forehead before laying her back down. Layla picked up a small sticky note which had been on the floor, then she found a pen, writing something down on the paper before setting it underneath Natasha's hand, which rested on her chest. Layla only hoped that she would read it, and that she would know what to do. With that, Layla disappeared, going to find The Other. He needed to be taught a lesson.

* * *

"_Clint, do you hear me?"_

"Loud and clear, kid. Did you find her?"

"_Yeah, she was under The Other's control. She should be fine, I knocked her out, so hopefully we won't have to deal with a brainwashed Black Widow anymore."_

"Alright. You should get out of there, both of you."

Clint was worried, he didn't want Layla to get caught, then Loki would have Thor's head, not to mention his own. _I really don't need to deal with a ticked off god either_, Clint thought.

"_I can't leave."_ Layla said, her voice was slightly quieter now.

"Why not? You've rescued Natasha, now get the heck out of there. If your dad finds out that you've been captured along with your mother, he's gonna kill me, then Thor, then he's gonna revive me and kill me again." Clint sounded agitated, Layla could tell that much. Because of hearing what he said, she let out a soft laugh.

"_My dad isn't going to kill you, Clint. And I'm not gonna get caught. I just want to get revenge on The Other, then I'll get out of here with Mom."_

"Revenge is never a good path, Layla."

"_What's that? You're cutting out." _Layla said, before she turned off her earpiece.

"Layla? Layla? Dang it!" Clint said, rolling his eyes before he looked at Thor.

"What is it?" Thor asked.

"She's going after The Other, alone." Clint said, grabbing the bridge of his nose. "God, I'm so dead, he's gonna kill me."

"I promised my brother that I would protect Layla, you shouldn't be the one worrying, my friend." Thor replied, smiling only slightly.

* * *

Layla followed a group of Chitauri warriors as they seemed to be going towards the end of the hallway in a hurry. _He has to be there_, Layla thought. She stopped for a moment and came out from where she had been hiding, of course, she had been finding different hiding spots so they would not see her. Layla then whistled to get their attention as she already had an arrow loosed into her bow. The warriors turned to look at her, she could hear them making growls as they watched her. Layla then shot the arrow, watching as it stuck right in the skull of one of the four warriors. It toppled backwards, landing on the floor. The other three just looked at their dead comrade before turning their attention to Layla. They were making laughing sounds it seemed, since they most likely thought her efforts were weak. Layla just smirked.

"Mocking the daughter of the God of Mischief are we?" She asked, then she laughed a bit before she pushed a button on her bow. The arrow that had been lodged in the head of the dead warrior blew up, killing the other three. Layla put her bow on her back, walking and stepping over the dead bodies. That had been her only 'special arrow' as she called them, and she had seen that as a good opportunity to use it. Once she reached the doors to the room that the Chitauri had been heading to, she tried to open the door by placing her hand upon the button with a hand print on it. However, after it scanned her hand, it didn't allow her to enter. So, she stood back and she concentrated, closing her eyes then she opened them, waving her hand to one side. She watched the door open and she walked in. After looking around the room, she narrowed her eyes, trying to see in the darkness. The door closed behind her, only making the room darker, that is, until torches were lit, almost as if by magic. She froze where she was standing, and that was the moment when she heard a dark voice behind her.

"Layla Lokidottir, I just _knew _you would come."

The Other's tone sent a shiver down Layla's spine and she turned around slowly, to find that she was looking right at him.

_Be brave._

Her father's words echoed in her head. No matter how afraid Layla was now, she couldn't let him down. She wasn't going to let The Other scare her. It was then that Layla remembered something, something that she had said so long ago.

_I'll finish him, myself._

Layla's blue gaze flicked to The Other's face, which held a menacing, red-toothed smile. She took a few steps back before she drew her sword, holding it in her right hand before she waved her hand to the side. She frowned when her magic was failing her. However, even as The Other chuckled darkly, Layla glared and concentrated again. Within moments, a bright green flame sparked from her hand. Layla now smirked at The Other's expression. She was going to win this fight, no matter what it took. The Other was going to pay for everything he had done.


End file.
